|
P95
|
|
I will now step into the witness box vacated
by him and The
members of the Commission were in the position of spectators who saw the
fight from beginning to end. Mr. Sadleir could not possibly foresee the end, and
had the outlaws acted with the desperation which was expected from their
characters they would not have destroyed themselves, but have rushed out of the
burning building clad in their armour, and sold their lives as dearly as the
desperate nature of their position would have enabled them to do. Had this most
likely event occurred, instead of condemnation Mr. Sadleir would possibly have
received commendation for had he made an ineffectual attack through the narrow
passages of the hotel upon two desperate ruffians possessing the advantages they
did he might have left several of his men dead and wounded in the hotel and
repeated the attack with an equally deplorable result. So far as the local press
was concerned the Benalla "Standard" supported the action taken by Mr.
Sadleir, and the Ovens and Murray "Advertiser" 22nd Oct. 1880,
published the following. "The Commission virtually admit that both they and
the public would have been better pleased had a dozen policemen been shot, but
every reasonable man must admit that Superintendent Sadleir's view of the matter
was the safest and most merciful. We are not ashamed to confess that our
feelings were entirely with the men who wanted to rush the house but our reason
is altogether with Mr. Sadleir who in the heat of the moment recognised and
acted upon the self evident proposition that the gang was doomed and that the
loss of further lives would be a gratuitous sacrifice." About the conduct
of the police generally I quote the following from the evidence given by the
under mentioned gentlemen before the Board appointed by the Government to
apportion the reward. The Chief Secretary the Hon. R. Ramsay stated. "The
proceedings of the outlaws were a heavy incubus on the entire colony rendering
life and property unsafe." Mr. Melvin of the "Argus"."
Senior constable Kelly kept visiting men placing them all round the house and
supplying them with ammunition." Mr. G.V. Allen; Daily Telegraph. "The
police appeared to him to care very little for themselves as long as they met
the gang face to face. Speaking generally of the police they acted in a most
praiseworthy manner, and there was no
desire to get unnecessarily under cover." Mr. Mc Whirter "Age".
Armstrong, Dwyer, Johnson, Montifort and some others offered to rush the hotel.
I never saw one of the police flinch I can say that for the whole of them."
Mr. Rawlins said; He thought Ned Kelly was trying to get away. That Senior
Constable Kelly deserved the credit for preventing the escape of the outlaws.
"There was heavy firing for the the first twenty-five minutes after
that there was no more for about two hours and there was very little firing after Ned Kelly was taken." |
|
|